Viva la Vida
by Loop de Lilly
Summary: A Cincinnati Story. A Baseball story. A love story. E/B, baseball-Edward, the rest of the gang included. Bella loves baseball. Now baseball's best star might be loving her back. Plus gay Jake and the crazy Cullens... All Human.
1. Spring Training

**Yes, I changed my name from WallFlowerPower.**

**Ch. 1: Spring Training**

I wanted to be in Arizona so bad. I was actually sort of wishing my mother and her husband, Phil, would invite me down for a while. During the year they lived in Phoenix, but right now Phil was working with the young guys in the baseball spring training camp of the Cincinnati Reds—the best baseball team on Earth, in my opinion. They hadn't won a Championship in years. But after growing up in Phoenix, moving to Forks, Washington my junior year of highschool to be with my dad, and finally ending up in Cincinnati, Ohio, I had developed a passion for baseball.

The beginnings of the passion were harvested at a young age. Charlie was always an ardent baseball fan, mostly for his hometown Mariners. Before he and Renee split and when I used to visit him after the divorce, he always took me to the Forks High School baseball games, and once to a Seattle Mariners game. Then mom started dating Phil, and he took us to the Reds spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona. Phil was originally from Cincinnati and told me the almost magical history of the team—how it was the first ever professional baseball team, how the city revolves around its baseball, and everything in between. He even took my mother and I to a Reds Opening Day. That's when he proposed to her... and when I fell deeply in love with both the Reds and the City.

I tried to go to the University of Cincinnati for college, but the University of Washington offered me such a fantastic scholarship package that I couldn't say no. They literally paid me to go to college all four years. After double-majoring in English and Business Administration, I packed my whole life up to take a job as an administrator for the Hamilton County Public Library System in Cincinnati, Ohio. Finally.

Now 23, I had been on the job for six months. Being in the offices running this particular library system was much more complicated than I had anticipated. I had no idea when I started that Hamilton County had the largest circulation of books in the country—you would think that would be somewhere like New York City. But no. I had learned a lot of pleasant things about Cincinnati that no one would ever guess.

The job paid enough, but I wasn't exactly living the high life in the Current at the Banks apartments or anything. I lived in the Garfield Tower Apartments over The Shakespeare Company, a great local theater, and Paint it Black Studio and Salon, owned by a man who had quickly become one of my best friends in Cincinnati, Jacob Black. My apartment was a really pathetically small studio, but it was all I could afford.

One Saturday morning I walked into Jacob's studio for a haircut. I only worked Monday-Friday and generally spent my weekend with Jacob or Alice. Besides my co-workers, I didn't know a lot of people in Cincinnati yet.

"Bella!" Jacob called when I walked in the studio. He rushed over to me and dramatically kissed both cheeks.

Did I mention that Jake is almost too gay to function?

"Hey Jake," I laughed, brushing the stray strands of chestnut brown hair out of my face. It was windy outside, and chilly. The temperature had fluctuated between 75 and sunny to 45 and windy in the past few weeks—a typical Cincinnati spring. This week seemed to be a cold week.

"Oh. My. God. I can't believe I let your ends get this bad! Come. Sit down. We'll fix it." Jake's giant form ushered me further into the wood-and-gold salon and pushed me into the shampooing chair.

Jacob Black was the son of a friend of my father's, Billy Black. When Jake came out at age 16, Billy was furious. He couldn't stand having his only son be gay. Jake ended up at vocational school to be a cosmetologist during high school and came home every night to either silence or the absolute minimum required for two people to live in the same house. He moved when I was in college. In truth I forgot about Jacob a little, and didn't even know he was in Cincinnati until Charlie told me. Apparently Jake and Billy were on slightly better terms. They spoke, but Billy still largely ignored the fact that Jake was gay.

"Are we doing anything but a cut today, Bella-boo?" Jake asked, forcing my head back and starting to wash it out. I laughed. He was always so enthusiastic... which may explain why his salon had boomed so greatly and been one of the biggest cosmetic businesses in downtown by the time Jake and I reunited. He didn't work there much anymore except for huge clients, preferring to take the time to work on the business end of things, but always made sure he took my appointments.

"You can do my eyebrows," I sighed begrudgingly. I was very persistent on my very first visit—my eyebrows were fine, I didn't need them waxed. But a few more appointments, and I saw all the gorgeous women who came in to be glamorized by Jake, and I gave in.

"Need anything _else_ waxed, Bellarina?" he asked suggestively. "Just say the word and we'll set you up with one of the girls..."

"_No_, Jake," I growled. He dug his fingers a little deeper into my scalp. "Ow! Jeeze, you don't have to mutilate me just because I won't let you wax every hair on my body!"

He merely sighed and mumbled something under his breath before getting back to work. As he worked over me I found myself observing the studio and Jake. He was tall, well over 6'6, and had dark Quileute skin and short black hair, with huge brown puppy-dog eyes and eyelashes to kill for. He was a catch. I knew more than one girl had been broken-hearted upon finding out his sexual orientation. Hell, if we weren't childhood friends and he wasn't gay, I'd probably go for him too. Jake accidentally led on girls more than he knew, being as he only acted hardcore femininely gay half the time or so.

When my hair was clean he helped me flip up and cover it in a towel without getting any on my clothes, even if it was only a Reds t-shirt and jeans. It didn't work all the way and he had to take a rag to my brown eyes to keep the water from burning them, but soon enough I found myself at his favorite station with scissors snipping all around.

"So Bella, sweetheart, tell me about life. I haven't seen you all week! How's Mikey at the office?"

He was teasing me. Mike Newton worked as an accountant for Hamilton County. We worked in the same city building, and it felt like I would never cross paths with him if he wouldn't practically stalk me.

"Actually, I'm commemorating a special event in our relationship," I giggled. Jake's scissors stilled.

"Really? Do tell."

I looked up at him, trying to contain my laughter. "Today marks the fiftieth time Mike has asked me out."

Jake barked out short laughter and started clipping again. "And I'm guessing it's also the fiftieth time you've told him no, hmm?"

"Oh I went a little beyond a no this time."

Jake froze again and put his hand under my chin to look me in the face. "Isabella, you didn't."

I burst out laughing. "Today we progressed from a no to a HELL no."

Jake laughed and started cutting again. "My gawd, child, you almost gave me a heart attack! Next time don't tease me when I have scissors in my hand, or I night just snip a little too much off."

"Oh, Jake, you wouldn't."

"True. I wouldn't. You know how I love your hair." He ran his fingers through my brown locks. "Now look in the mirror and tell me if the length's right."

I looked in the fancy, gold-rimmed, brightly lit mirror and blinked. My hair had never looked so good as when I had Jake start to do it. It framed my face perfectly, even wet, and made my dull brown eyes pop with vibrant color.

"It's a masterpiece, as usual," I said dryly.

"Lovely, doll, now let me dry and style you."

"Not too much styling," I siad, shaking my finger at him. "I don't want products running out of my hair when I get in the shower."

"Whatever you say, Bella-boo," he said without really paying me any attention, as per usual. I sighed as he attacked me with his hair dryer.

A little less than an hour later my eyebrows were waxed, my hair was perfected and I was ready to leave. Jake took his long lunch and came with me out to fountain square, where we ordered some Skyline to go and ate it on the tables. I was wolfing down my 3-way of Chili, spaghetti and cheese while Jake attacked the four coneys he ordered.

"So, did you ever get Opening Day tickets?" Jake asked, mouth full. I gave him a repremanding look and swallowed before answering.

"Unfortunately, no, and I don't think I can afford to buy them if their not team-direct."

"Oh really?" Jake gave me a sly look and pulled out his wallet. I watched curiously as he pulled out three slips of paper and handed them to me. "Give it a look-see."

I looked down at the paper and nearly gagged on my Sprite. "Holy... Jacob Black, where in the name of God did you get these?"

Sitting in front of me were two Red-and-White tickets with the Reds four best players in various active stances printed on them. They were tickets for Thursday, April 5, 2012 at Great American Ball Park—Reds Opening Day tickets.

"Darling, you should _never_ doubt my abilities. I got three, I figure you can take me and the Pixie if you want."

"Of course I want!" I jumped out of my seat, practically knocking the table over in the process, which a laughing Jake steadied as I attacked him in a hug. "Oh my God, Jake, you're the best!"

He laughed and patted my back. "Just promise me you'll try not to fall over into the dugout or anything, babe. Those are some damn good seats and I will not have your clumsiness ruining the day for me!"

I looked at the ticket again. Jake was right, they were damn good seats in the first row behind the Reds dugout. "Oh my God, I love you," I moaned, collapsing on his lap. He laughed again.

"I love you too Bella-boo, in a totally platonic way of course. I just don't swing that way."

"I know you don't," I laughed. "Dear lord, I have to call Alice!"

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Being a baseball fan in the franchise city in March is absolute hell.

It's like being addicted to a seasonal ice cream in December. You want it so bad. You know it's going to be here in just a little while. You can even hear about it being in different places, where seasonal isn't so restrictive. But you can't _have_ it.

Jake and Alice both tried to tell me I was being overly dramatic. They just didn't understand. Baseball is soo much better than any ice cream could be. I was addicted, and I hadn't had my fix in far too long.

I woke up on the fourteenth and almost went straight back to bed. It was annoyingly, persistently, undeniably the middle. It was a Wednesday, the middle of the week. It was smack in the middle of the month... speaking of middle of the month... oh God, I was going to be starting my monthly friend soon, too. I closed my eyes and turning into the pillows of my bed. It was so warm... small, only a double, but warm. And comfortable. My apartment might have been pretty cheap (though clean and nice enough), but my bed was rocking. I have a memory foam mattress and goose down pillows and comforter...

Oh my God, if I didn't stop thinking about my bed I would _never_ leave it.

I rolled out of bed in my old, long t-shirt and bare feet and shivered. The weather was warm last week, but now was back to cold. I couldn't keep up. Still, anything was better than the constant rainy drizzle in Forks.

Weak shivers of light came through the sheer curtain over my seventh-floor window, dimly illuminating the dull room. The floor was a gray carpet that had probably been a considerably less... well... _dirty _shade of gray at one point or another. The walls were white. I never got around to repainting them, preferring to slap a bunch of pictures and mementos over the blandness. No one ever saw the inside except me, Alice and Jake anyway. The kitchen area was off to the side. I had somehow managed to squeeze a tiny two-seat table into the area. The only other furniture was the couch, a coffee table and the TV, and the only other rooms were a small bathroom and a dressing room/closet.

I threw some bacon on a pan and shoved it in the oven, then went into the bathroom and yawned at the mirror. My hair was a matted haystack. I sighed and went to work on it with a comb, then washed my face and put on a hint of mascara. Then I went and collapsed on the couch until the oven timer beeped, rousing me from my sleep and alerting me that the bacon was ready. Less than a minute later a drowsy Jake barged in, rubbing his eyes like a toddler.

"Bacon?" he sniffed before falling on the couch.

"Morning," I sniffed. This wasn't an unusual event at all. What would have been unusual is if he _didn't_ show up—Jake could barely cook and, since I had no one else, spent most of his breakfasts and dinner at my place. I didn't even have to call for him. He just miraculously knew when to show up. I swear, even though his place was a much nicer 1-bedroom two floors above me, he could _smell_ when the food was ready.

A minute later I had bacon sandwiches on the table and Jake stumbled over. Neither of us were morning people in the slightest. I collapsed on my chair and started eating. Slowly but surely the food, in combination with coffee, was starting to wake me up.

Jake was blinking himself awake, too. "You, any idea what you're going to wear today?" He asked me that every morning. It got old fast, but he didn't let up.

"Slacks and a blouse I'm sure," I grumbled. It really didn't matter what I'd say. Jake always ended up picking my clothes for me.

"Bella honey, face it, if it weren't for me you'd be lost and Alice would have disowned you by now. Besides, if I had your bod, I'd be showing it off every day of the week." He ran his fingers over his bare muscles. Jake's general morning outfit was some variety of cotton sleep pants and a robe hanging open over his chest.

"Please," I scoffed. "You have no issues in that department."

"Still Bella. You're a babe."

I shook my head, ignoring him. Jake always tried to convince me of this, but I wouldn't have it.

He shoved half of his sandwhich in his mouth. "So what are the chances that I can get you in to a skirt today?" he mumbled around his food. I raised an eyebrow, and he had the decency to chew his food before prompting me any further. "Sooo... skirt?"

"No way in hell," I answered calmly. Jake literally asked me the same question, and I tended to only agree when it was particularly hot outside. He AC in the office didn't work all that well, so it was always good to come prepared in case the temperamental thing decided not to work magically. But today wasn't hot and I wasn't going to be forced into one of those death-trap pencil skirts Alice kept buying for me.

"Heels then."

"Only if they're less than an inch."

"Bell-ah," Jake whined, elongating the second syllable of my name. "You never let me have any fun."

"Oh for goodness sake, Jake, just go pick out my outfit."

He sat there like a pouting child, not moving. I sighed. "Fine. I guess I'll dress myself."

He was up out of his seat and rummaging around the dressing room before I even had time to laugh.

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It turned out to be absolutely sweltering at work. The heat was broken this time, and wouldn't turn off. I had every window in my tiny office open, with fans positioned to blow hot air out and pull the pleasantly cool air form outside in, and it still wasn't enough. My business pants and stockings were sticking to my skin with sweat, and I had long since pulled off my light sweater and rolled up my sleeves.

It was about noon when I decided I couldn't finish another five hours of this. When I left the office for lunch I gave word to the joint secretary for the five city offices on the floor, Angela, that I may be a little late coming back and to please hold any calls. As soon as I was in the elevator I called Alice.

She answered hardly before the first ring. "Hello Bella! Aren't you working?" He chipper voice made me smile. Alice was, as Jake had said, truly a pixie-like girl. She was a year older than me at 24 and already living the high life. Both her parents, while still alive, paid her very little attention, preferring to ship her off to boarding schools and expensive colleges when she was young—they even paid for her to attend Brown University, where she ruined all of the Braden parent's hopes and dreams for their daughter by majoring in fashion design. Now she worked as a private designer, trying to break through in the dashion world.

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be working?" I countered.

"I have absolutely no inspiration," she groaned. "I'm taking a few days away from the studio since I don't have any clients coming in, but I forgot how completely _boring_ life is. You know I've been sitting here watching _Bones _reruns for three hours now? Three hours!"

I laughed. Alice was never one to be able to merely sit down and relax all by herself. She was definitely a social butterfly. "Well I have something for you to do."

"Oh my goodness, what? I'll do anything!"

"Go to my apartment, get me some cooler clothes—a skirt or something—and come meet me at Via Vite in Fountain Square."

"I'm on it," she said, then hung up the phone before I could say goodbye. I looked down at the _call ended_ screen and shook my head as the elevator doors opened to the building lobby.

I walked to the restaurant. My car, an ancient red Chevy truck that I'd had since Charlie got it for me my Junior year, was parked in the garage next to my apartment building in the assigned spot and probably wouldn't be coming out of hiding for a while. Besides, it wasn't too far, and the air felt wonderful against my heated skin.

I was nearing Via Vite when I saw Alice's short, bouncing head of chopped black hair in front of it, holding a bundle. Her sleek yellow porche was parked across the street, sticking out from all the other cars.

I scowled as I approached her. Alice lived in Mt. Adams, a rich neighborhood that was a good bit away. "How much were you speeding?"

"I don't considered speed limits a law as much as a suggestion," she said off-handedly. "Anyway, look what I brought you!"

I unfolded the bundle and grimaced. "Oh, Alice, you didn't."

"They look so nice on you Bella! I don't understand why you're so anti-dress."

I looked over the black cotton dress with the nice floral pattern. It was actually pretty nice, cinching at the waist and coming to just above my knee. "Thank you," I said begrudgingly. "Now can we eat? I really don't have too long."

After lunch Alice tagged along with me back to my office, driving me in her porche and coming in to sit on my desk. "So what do you _do_ all day?" she asked, picking up a framed picture of Charlie and I on a fishing trip when I was 12.

"Field calls when a library director has question, authorize additions and subtractions to the circulation, work on branch relations, authorize and plan some programs..." I sighed. "It sounds a lot more important than it is and pays a lot less than it should."

"Well at least you get this nifty office," she said, going to the window and looking at the busy street below. "Why's it so hot in here anyway?" The heat didn't seem to bother her in her favorite casual pink dress.

"Heater's broken," I grunted, returning an email from a director about the e-book services. Some people just didn't understand that an e-book is completely different from a database. Then again, some of the directors had been here for 40 plus years and were getting up there in age.

Alice laughed, a tinkling, bell-like sound. "The life and times of a city-hired worker."

"Tell me about it," I grumbled. "I bet you couldn't live on a budget for a week."

Alice jumped off the desk and backed up slowly, pointing her finger at me. "Ah ha! I know what you're doing here, Swan. It's _not going to work_."

I sighed and looked away from my computer to watch her. "_What's _not going to work, Alice?"

"You are trying to get me to bet on that, and then I'm going to have to go a week on some completely unreasonable budget—"

"Alice dear, that wasn't what I had planned at all." I looked back at the screen, where another elderly library worker had started G-Chatting me, thinking it was an email.

"Uh huh. Sure. I'm not falling for it, chicka. No way no how." She spun dramatically and opened my door. "If you need me, I'll be at home." Then she marched out, slamming the door behind her.

I sat in shock for a moment, then shook my head and returned to my work. I should have been used to such situations by now. After all, Alice was nothing if not dramatic.

**Review!**


	2. Opening Day

**Opening Day**

Waking up that morning, for the first time in a long time, only took a few seconds. I had barely slept the night before. The previous day was a blur. All that mattered was that I had gotten the day off and was ready to spend all day with Jake and Alice.

And the boys.

_Thank God. _Finally.

I could feel pounds of stress lifting from me just thinking about what today meant-summer, sun, hope, nail-biters and something to look forward to every night. Oh yes, my baseball was more than a game. It was a lifestyle, no different than someone who jogs every morning or plays chess.

I put the bacon on right away after throwing open the flimsy curtains and seeing the brightness of the sky above me. Alice and Jake swore they wouldn't wake up until after the parade unless I fed them. Neither particularly understood why they'd get a day off and _not _sleep in. While it was baking on low, I went into the bathroom to splash some water on my face.

But really, was this real life?

Jake unlocked the door and stumbled in when the smell of bacon began to permeate the air. "You're a good person, Bells," he yawned, then fell back onto the couch. I laughed and grabbed my old computer off the little dest near my bed, taking it to the kitchen counter so I could simultaneously watch the bacon. Right away, I got on Twitter to check the Reds announced lineup. Of course, most of the loyal fans, and even most of the fair-weather fans had known for a while who was playing on Opening Day, but I always liked to check, just in case.

_Official Lineup of the Cincinnati Reds 5/5/12_

_# Name Pos_

_2 John Cozart 6_

_6 Andy Stubbs 8_

_19 Edward Cullen 3_

_4 Shawn Phillips 4_

_21 Luke Frazier 5_

_32 Trey Bruce 9_

_17 Ryan Heisey 7_

_28 Emmett McCarty 2_

_61 Jasper Hale 1_

I smiled-it was exactly as I had anticipated, of course. The star of the lineup was definitely the three-hole, first baseman Edward Cullen. He redeemed baseball in Cincinnati with his 2010 National League MVP award as the Reds came away with the National League Central Division Championship that year. Last year things had not gone nearly so well and we ended up third, but after the major trade in February to get new ace Jasper Hale, not to mention the return of catcher Emmett McCarty, who had been on the Disabled List since June 2011, things were looking up.

Of course, the ever-present doubt about Cullen nagged me. He had some issues with depression in 2009, and could be under some stress as his contract was up after this year. People were screaming that he be signed to a record-breaking extension. That could be potentially sketchy, as the Cincinnati club didn't have as much payroll flexibility as some of the larger cities. But I was hoping. Plus, Cullen was a class-act. With luck, he'd go out and play the game as usual without letting such things affect him.

"You're thinking about that hot player again, aren't you?" Jake deadpanned from his position on my couch. I blushed. It was possible that I had gushed about Cullen to him before-but I couldn't help it! The man was gorgeous and talented. You could ask any woman in the city and get the same answer.

"Breakfast's ready," I mumbled, avoiding the question. Jake laughed and pulled himself up off the couch. He kissed my cheek before piling his plate up. I went to the intercom as it buzzed.

"Bella, let me up!" Alice sang. "I have Starbucks!"

"Bells, let the girl up," Jake yelled through the food in his mouth. I laughed and the note of hysteria in his voice and buzzed her up.

After we all had enough food and caffeine in our systems to last us the morning, Alice and Jake had a very secret-looking meeting next to my closet while I finished looking up times and whatnot and finalizing our plans for the day. The bars and restaurants at the Banks next to the ballpark would be packed after the game, but I figured it was still worth a shot to try to get in and soak in some more of the Opening Day atmosphere. No sooner had I made the final decisions that my laptop was rudely closed, leaving me mildly stunned, looking up at Alice and Jake. They had magically appeared in front of me and were switching between grinning madly at me and looking conspiratorially at one another.

"Okay, dear, we worked out a plan of action," Alice chirped.

"I'm going to go change," Jake continued. "And since this pixie here's the fashion expert, she's going to dress you."

"Right. And don't worry, Bella, I recognize that I'm not going to get you out of this apartment unless you're wearing a jersey. I can work around that. Once I'm done, since I'm already dressed-" she twirled once in her bright red sundress and . then finished her thought- "Jake's gonna come down and help us with makeup and hair, since he _is _the expert."

I smiled and rolled my eyes. I couldn't bring myself to complain, since they _were_ sacrificing their day to come to the game with me. And Jake _did_ get me these tickets.

Alice got me into a red cami with lace on top that came down just a little lower than I would have liked with a white Cullen jersey. She buttoned the bottom three buttons but left the top open so the red lace cami was clearly visible, and paired that with a pair of tight-fitting darkwash jeans that she bought for me but I never wore unless she made me. It was going to be a relatively cool day, so I asked her to stay away from short shorts.

When Jacob returned, he had supplies with him. He started with Alice while waiting for the curling irons to heat, using some of his professional-grade stuff on her hair to give it the volume she so adored and doing her makeup, making sure to color her lips bright red to match her dress. Jake himself was wearing an unmarked jersey and white wife-beater with old, torn jeans. He pulled it off really well.

When everything was "prepared" for me, Jake took the big curling iron to my hair and then seemed to powder and slather every inch of my face. I thought for sure I looked like a circus clown-until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked fantastic! Why did I bother doubting Jake's technique anymore? He didn't overdo me-not at all. Everything looked totally natural. My hair waved softly down my back and over my shoulder, the brown of my eyes was illuminated and looked almost like they had flecks of gold in them from his expert eye for color. I couldn't say I wasn't pleased with my friends' work.

"Okay," I slapped, jumping up and looking at the clock on the oven. "It's 11:00 now. The parade starts at 1:30. The game starts at 4:00. What are you guys thinking we do until then?"

Jake stuck out his hand. "Bella darling, I don't care _what_ we do, but we are _not_ going to stay in this apartment while you look so good!"

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Jake and Alice, for all their genius, couldn't come up with anything more clever than window shopping to pass the morning hours. Jake bought me an ice cream so I could tolerate it. I got vanilla, because it wouldn't stain as bad on the white jersey if I spilled, which luckily I didn't. We were comfortably in place waiting for the parade to start on fountain square with time to spare.

The parade was fabulous. Leading it were two current Reds, pitcher Tommy Latos and outfielder Andy Stubbs. Latos had never seen a Cincinnati Opening Day before, and kept looking around, stunned at all the hype over it. After that, a bunch of local organizations, businesses and (more boring) politicians. Free stuff went flying. The best was the Glier's and Queen City Sausage trucks, because they threw out rounds of Goetta. Goetta is a dish pretty much exclusive to Cincy that consisted of pork and oats. The German immigrants invented it because, back when Cincinnati was "Pig Town" and a big place to package pork, the low-earning Germans had to make their meat stretch, and therefore mixed it with oats.

Jacob caught a pack and just about threw a fit. "Oh my God, oh my God Bella, look!" he screeched, encouraging a slew of amused and annoyed onlookers. I jerked away as he shoved the round in my face, nearly hitting me and knocking me in to Alice. "You _have_ to make this for me tomorrow!"

I pushed his arm out of my face, losing my balance in the process and gripping on to the very muscular arm to keep myself from falling over. Jacob laughed and swung me up like I weighed nothing. "You gotta be more careful, Bells. But you still haven't answered me."

"Yes Jake, yes, I'll make it for you!" I laughed. "I owe you a ton for these tickets, anyway."

"What about me?" Alice chirped. "You owe me for forcing me to come along too!"

I sighed. "Alright Ali. But I want it to go on record that I thought making you two breakfast was the payment!"

"Dully noted," she said with a wave of her hand. "What time are we supposed to get to the game, anyway?"

I glanced at my watch. "I guess we should soon. We can start walking down. Do you want to detour past the apartments so you can put your meat away, Jake?"

Jacob, being the twelve-year-old that he is, cocked his eyebrow and smirked while turning to go towards the salon and apartments. "That's what she said... or, in my case, that's what_ he_ said."

I shook my head and laughed. "You say that all the time." He didn't answer, just smiled with a twinkle in his eye as we continued on to the apartments so Jake could... well... put his meat away.

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The crowd was humming outside the ballpark. Alice, Jacob and I were waiting at the Joe Nuxhall entrance to get in to Great American. Though it was merely a fifty feet or so to the right field side of the main gates, hardly anyone ever went there. I guess it was kind of hard to see from the road... but the general masses going to the main gates meant that it was substantially easier to get in to the park from the gate that the fans who came to more than one game a year knew about.

I was bouncing when we walked inside the shining white gates into the park. I was faced with the side of the stadium, which seemed to bloom out of the ground like a giant steel flower. Small hands gripped my shoulders from behind me and I spun to see Alice, a sly grin on her face.

"Jesus Christ, Bells," Jake said with a laugh. "You look like Alice in a mall."

"Hey!" our friend said sharply, taking her hands off of me and placing them on her hips. We both ignored her.

"Aren't you looking around?" I asked slowly. It was silly, getting so worked up over a game, but the yen was there so prominently that there was no way around it. Jake did glance around quickly, and I knew what he was seeing—a sea of baseball fans, clad in red and white. "Look closer, Jake. They're old, young, rich, poor, black, white, men and women. But everyone has one thing in common..." I smiled widley. "They're baseball fans, and they're here to see the boys take the season. Anything can happen this season. It's fresh and young and about to give light to a new summer. Just look at it."

Jake just shook his head and laughed. "You know what Bella, I'm just gonna let you have this. It's important that you have something to believe in. Now, let's find these seats."

It was pretty much a straight shot through the pillars, into the stadium, down the section and to the very first row. At first I couldn't comprehend anything but the sight in front of me. I was in Central Park with Renee once on one of her crazy let's-go-somewhere-right-now trips and noticed that the group of baseball fields there is called The Great Lawn. I don't think there's ever been a better name for a baseball field. They're expansive, green, and hold such a promise of greatness.

"You alright there, Bella?" Alice asked. "You look kinda like you're lusting after some thing on the field..."

All of a sudden Jacob let out a long, low whistle. "I wouldn't blame her. Pixie, check out these hunks of meat!"

Alice's head whipped around faster than I thought possible. My mouth was still watering from the sight of the vast expanse of grass when Alice sucked in a deep breath. "Oh God, Bella, who is _that_?"

I pulled my eyes away to look in the direction of her gazed. My eyes zoomed in on the long-toss going on in the outfield between the starting pitcher and his catcher. "Which one?"

"The blonde one."

"Oh, him. That's Jasper Hale. He's the pitcher, our ace."

Alice slumped down in her seat and started fanning herself dramatically. "I think I'm in love."

Jake, whose seat was on the other side of mine, put his hands on the painted concrete of the dugout in front of us and squinted. "I don't even know what you're looking at. You can't see anything but that hair of his from here!"

"I just know," Alice said mysteriously, not once taking her eyes off of Jasper Hale. I shook my head and took a closer look at the field. Most of the players were out stretching and warming up, just as excited for the first game of the year as the fans. Jacob was practically drooling. I looked on in appreciation as well. I wouldn't be the first to say that the Reds were the most attractive team in the National League.

He ran out in front of us. I wouldn't even have noticed, except Jacob made some sly comment about his ass. My eyes flashed to his immediately—the ass was amazing, I'd give Jake that much. He had his warm-up jersey on, numberless, nameless, but I'd know the copper colored hair peeking out from under that hat anywhere. And so did every other person in the stadium.

Edward Cullen was making his appearance.

I couldn't help but cheer with the rest of the fans. Cullen seemed to be in a good mood, because he turned, smiled, and waved at the decks of fans. The camera for the big screen was trained on his. The crowd erupted. My heart swelled. If he could avoid his emotional issues, Cullen would turn out very well for the city of Cincinnati.

Cullen started stretching next to veteran third baseman Chipper Rolen. Rolen was our every day third baseman, but a bad shoulder was keeping him out of the Opening Day lineup. Many suspected that it would actually end up being more of a platoon situation between him and rookie Luke Frazier, meaning both would play about half the time (barring any major injuries or struggles). Rolen was smiling, probably saying something encouraging to Cullen. The team trainer came out to help them stretch out, making Cullen flex his muscles... I'm no cleat chaser, but I won't deny that it's possible I had a thing for Edward Cullen.

The pre-game festivities started quickly, giving rise to five ceremonial first pitches, the game ball delivery, the resin sack delivery, and finally those words that every fan lives to hear right before they know their game will be played—"The Cincinnati Reds and visiting Milwaukee Brewers ask that everyone now please stand, kindly remove your caps and face the American flag as we join local musicians Top Knot in the singing of the National Anthem."

I hummed along quietly during the National Anthem. My eyes strayed from the American Flag, flying proudly above the Hamilton County flag in the slight warm breeze, to the giant HD video board above the left field bleechairs, to the backs of the players. Both teams were lined up in a V shape, with the Brew Crew gracing the infield third base line and the Redlegs doing the same on the first base line. Cullen was on the end, nearly on top of the base he defended so well. The crowd was quiet, but you'd have to be a fool not to feel the excitement.

When the song ended I barely noticed, and jumped at the raucous cheering and applause that followed. Jake laughed and shook his head. His big hands made a loud crashing sound when he clapped, a stark comparison to the patter of Alice's tiny palms. I smiled and joined them.

The stadium announcer went on to introduce the visiting team in an unamused voice, and the crowd went back to chatter than only turned back into cheers when we all heard, "And now for _your_ Cincinnati Reds!"

I knew the lineup, of course, but my heart leapt a little with each name. I think it may have even stopped when they called out Cullen. The cheers there were so loud that the next name to come, the catcher, Emmett McCarty, was barely audible. He smiled out at the crowd and waved while jogging out to his base.

I couldn't even speak I was so happy. The little kid they had commissioned to start off the game, a cute blonde girl in the upper decks, shouted "PLAY BALL!" into the mic produced. The crowd cheered. Jasper Hale looked deep into the catcher's mitt, past the Brewer's leadoff guy.

The first pitch was thrown.

The umpire wound up and shouted, "STRIKE!"

The baseball season had begun.

/|\

\|/

It was the top of the fourth when the players' bats finally woke up from their long winter slumber. The Brewers knocked Hale around for two runs. He got out with two men on, shaken but perfectly able to continue his start. The Reds followed up with two hits in the bottom of the inning but nothing to show for it.

It was the top of the seventh when Jacob leaned over towards me and said, "Sort of a slow game, isn't it?"

"What?" I asked, shocked. I would call this game anything but slow. It was a battle between two teams who were both ready to win this year.

"Yeah, I mean, two to nothing,there's barely been any hits since the fourth!" I glanced at Alice to see if she left the same, but her eyes were glued on Jasper Hale.

I looked at Hale just in time to see his arm hurl forwards and skillfully drop a 12-6 curveball over the plate. The batter didn't even flinch, thinking the ball would be high, but admitted defeat in a strikeout rung him up. I clapped as strikeout flames shot from the center field smoke stacks.

"See what he did there?" I asked Jake. "That curveball is his signature. Pitching—that's an artform, so is the defense. The pitching and defense on _both_ teams has been spectacular this afternoon,"

All of a sudden we both heard a loud "Heads up!" and turned our heads towards the field. Edward Cullen was running towards us on the field,a look of terror gracing his beautifully strong features. What... Then I saw his finger pointed up in the air and looked above me—a high fly ball was plummeting down straight towards me, and in only the milliseconds I had before contact I raised my right hand—gloved,as usual, whenever I sat in these seats, as a precaution against this very situation, and caught the white orb. The _smack_ against the leather was loud, the crowd around me was all on their feet. I found that I, too, had stood up without realizing it,and looked back to the field, my mouth gaping open.

Edward Cullen smirked and applauded me quietly, his hand hitting his glove, while walking silently back to his position. I stared at him until Jake's elbow jammed into my ribs and I flushed red, turning to him. "_What_?"

"You're up on there!" Alice screeched, waving emphatically towards the giant scoreboard. I glanced up and felt my breath catch. There I was, my hair windswept, my face red, but an undeniable smile stretching across my face that I didn't even realize I was sporting. I smiled tentatively and waved, the applause picking up a little before the screen went back to the stats of the opposing batter and I sat down, hiding my face in my hands.

"Oh God that was so embarrassing," I mumbled. Neither Jake nor Alice said anything, so I peeked over at them from under my hair.

As soon as my eyes met Alice's excited brown ones, she squealed with delight. "Did you _see_ that?" she screeched, toppling over Jacob's lap in an attempt to grip me shoulders. She ended up sprawled out, grasping my wrist. My eyes flickered between her excitement and Jacob's amused expression.

"I didn't just see it, I caught it," I said slowly, holding out the ball for her to see. It was still nestled in the net of my glove. She pushed my hand away from her face.

"No, Bella," she said with exasperation. "_Edward Cullen was staring at you_."

It was probably supposed to be a hushed whisper, but those few words rang out, above the sound of the crowd and the umpire, above the breeze and the faint whoosh of the river just outside the ballpark. "Alice, don't be silly," I choked out with a nervous laugh. She went to say something out, but there was a small _crack_ and we both turned to the field. A hard ground ball was headed right for Cullen. He scooped it up easily, touched the first base bag for the third out of the inning, and started jogging back to the dugout beneath us all in one fluid movement. As he did his eyes came above the concrete overhang to meet my own, and he smirked crookedly. I could've sworn he winked.

"See?!" Alice squealed again. I smiled breathlessly at her as soon as Edward disappeared back into the dugout.

"There was something in his eye," I said, unconvinced. "He was just smiling at the crowd." Alice saw my hesitations and humphed, but straightened back into her seat.

"You mark my words, Bella," she insisted, wagging her finger at me. "This is going to be a baseball season that you _never_ forget."

I shivered as a breeze went through the ballpark. It wasn't cold, but I felt nervous. Alice was never wrong about these things.

/|\

\|/

Things weren't looking good come the bottom of the ninth. The Rally Music and videos were playing, pumping the crowd up, but we were down by two and Milwaukee had brought in their closer to finish off the game. The top three in the lineup were due up after the catcher and pinch-hitter both make easy outs—I don't think anyone in the crowd was left sitting. Everyone was on their feet, even Alice, who was bouncing excitedly. Jasper had lasted eight innings. She was upset when he hadn't come in for the top of the ninth, but when I explained how good his line was she perked up and started cheering again.

I guess the closer got spazzy with the beginning of the season. That's the only explanation I can think of, because the Brewers had a damn good reliever in that position with plenty of National League experience. Cozart, though a rookie, managed a single into right. Stubbs followed up. I thought for sure he would make the final out, because Andy Stubbs was notorious for striking out. But somehow I blinked, and the next thing I knew, Stubbs was on second and Cozart was sliding into third.

My throat was turning raw from my screaming, not that I could hear over the sound of the crowd. An old poem rang through my head.

_Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell,  
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell,  
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,  
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat. _

Edward Cullen was stepping in to the left-hand batter's box. I saw his shoulders rise and fall as he took a deep breath, and my breath caught when he pointed the bat at the pitcher, his signature move.

_Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;  
Five thousand tongues applauded as he wiped them on his shirt. _

I gripped on to Jacob. Even he was getting antsy, caught up in the heat of the moment. "Just a single," I muttered under my breath. "A single keeps the inning alive."

The ball came hurling it.

I watched it practically bounce in front of the plate, it was so low.

"_Strike!"_

The whole crowd groaned. "Are you blind?" I heard Alice yell from two seats over, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the man at the plate to agree with her.

_From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,  
Like the beating of the storm waves on a stern and distant shore.  
"Kill him; kill the umpire!" shouted someone from the stand;-  
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand. _

Cullen looked back at the ump, obviously ticked, but didn't say a word. He merely turned back around, pointed the glossy piece of wood again, and stood ready.

The ball whooshed by just above his shirt letters. _Strike! _This time Alice and I—along with everyone else in the stadium—were screaming together. Cullen turned back to the ump, and this time I could nearly read his lips as he said, "High." The umpire ignored him, though.

_The sneer is gone from Casey's lip; his teeth are clenched in hate;  
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.  
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,  
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow. _

The poem infamously ends with a swing-and-a-miss, effectively striking out Casey, and the game ending after a rally attempt. But this wasn't Casey-at-the-Bat, and Cullen didn't strike out.

_CRACK!_

I think you could've heard the sound from Kentucky, it resonated through the silent crowd with such intensity. There was a moment of confusion, a single beat where Edward watched the ball along with the crowd. But the outcome was undeniable. The crowd exploded slowly, like the very beginning of a volcanic eruption, and the ball crossed the wall, landing in the top row of the right field sun deck.

The home-run sirens went off; fire and red sparks flew from the smokestacks; fireworks set up outside the ballpark sent bright flashes accompanied by giant booms. I was jumping, screaming, tearing up a little bit. If this was any insight into how the season would be, I thought as the players from the dugout ran to meet Cullen at home plate, then Alice was right, it _would_ be memorable.

**A/N: This took a long time for me to get out and I'm SO SORRY about that. I'll certainly be working to crank out chapters for you faster. **

**The poem was "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, written in 1888.**

**As always, your reviews are what keeps me going!**


	3. The First Inning

**The First Inning**

Alice had insisted on not going home after the game. Her plan was to go to The Holy Grail, a popular bar in the Banks development that was literally twenty feet from the front gates of the ballpark, but that was slammed with fans in Red. Then she wanted to try Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill right next to The Holy Grail, but that, too, was packed with a line going halfway down second street.

"This is crazy," Alice said impatiently. "I didn't even know there were this many people in the city!"

"Cuz it's not just the city," I said as we crossed second street to head back towards Fountain Square. "People come from all over for Opening Day." The sun was starting to get low, and it looked like a reverse sunset—as the sun got lower, the streets flooded with more red-dressed people, celebrating the walkoff win by the team.

"Well we're not going to be able to find a good bar," she huffed. Jake swung his arms around our shoulders and pulled us in to him. He had specifically refrained from buying the overpriced beer at the game with hopes of going to a bar.

"We could always go to Malley's Pub," Jacob suggested hopefully. Malley's was our usual spot to hang out. It was fairly quiet, so it didn't get bombarded by college kids, and mid-priced. Jake had a major crush on the bartender, Embry, and we had been trying to evaluate for months whether he was straight or not.

"No, Jacob, we _cannot_ go to Malley's," Alice snapped. "This is a special day and we're not going to stick around in out same old bar!"

I sighed and grabbed one of each of their hands. "Let's just walk around a little," I suggested happily. "Explore some."

We ended up in a bar on the East side of town, near Mt. Adams (where all the rich people lived), called Volterra. It was on the river and packed full of people in Reds gear, but seemed a little quieter and more subdued than the other bars. It was getting late, the sun had set and only released a violet glow over the river. I grabbed Jacob's watch to check the time—8:30.

I was sipping a plain coke. Jake had a glass of something golden over ice, and Alice was sipping a fruity pink something. I didn't drink often, and I _certainly_ didn't like drinking before nine. My alcohol tolerance was little to none.

"This is a pretty nice joint," Jacob said cooly from his side of out booth. "If you're in to all this nicer stuff."

"A good place for a special occasion," Alice piped in. "Now Bella. Tell me everything you know about Jasper Hale."

I knew a lot about Jasper Hale, obviously. I blathered on about his Texan upbringing (like so many major league players), his family ranch, how he held every record in his high school. Reds Live, the pre-game show on TV, had done an interview on Jasper's decision to accept the Reds draft offer for him instead of going to the military academy, as he had planned.

"Hmmm. I wouldn't mind seeing him in uniform,"Alice said dreamily.

"Me neither," Jake said, taking another gulp of his gold beverage.

I would normally agree, but I couldn't stop thinking about Edward Cullen's face when the ball looked like it would hit me.

"I think I'm going to get a drink," I said, standing. My brain was working too hard, and with the excitement of the day, I thought it would be alright to bend my no-drinks-before-nine rule this one time.

Alice grabbed my hand before I could get out of the booth next to her. "Have fun, Bella!" she said with a huge smile. "This day was for you. Just let go a little."

I smiled and squeezed her hand. "Thanks Alice." I turned and carefully navigated the crowded floor to the other side of the room, where the bar was.

There were people everywhere, yet somehow the air was still chilled around me. As I approached the bar I spotted an opening and slid in carefully. A blonde barkeeper walked towards me.

As soon as I saw her I wanted to move away. She was slight, with a pointed face and full, pure red lips. She was paler than me and clad entirely in black. When she turned to look at me, I couldn't help but stare—her eyes were harshly red. I didn't want to stare, but when she snapped her fingers in front of my face I realized I had.

"Hello, anybody in these? God, you must have had a few drink before coming here..." her voice was smooth but annoyed.

"Oh, um, sorry, I was thrown off by the..." I gestured in the general direction of my eyes.

The bartender smirked. "No worries, it's not the first time I've heard that. They're colored contacts. It's part of the uniform." She put her finger on her iris and slipped the contact to the side, demonstrating. It may have been my imagination, but I could have sworn that the only color I saw beneath them was black. "So what can I get for you?"

I looked around at the expensive looking bottles on the shelves above her. "Um... what do you suggest?"

"I wouldn't take her suggestion if I were you," said a silky voice from behind me. "It's liable to be blood."

Wait a minute, I know that voice...

I spun around and came face-to-face with the piercing green eyes of Edward Cullen himself. My mouth gaped open, and for the second time in two minutes I was left mindless staring—but this time for a completely different reason.

"You're the girl who's taking my job, aren't you?" he clarified with a wide smile.

"I, um," I finally coughed out. "What?"

It sounded so stupid, and I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. Oh God, I was an idiot.

"That catch you made," Edward explained further, leaning casually against the bar like it was the most normal thing in the world. In the elegant, soft light of the room, the contours of his face were illuminated, and deep shadows were cast over his eyes from his eyelashes. He looked like an angel. "My teammates keep teasing me that you can catch a pop up better than me and you're going to end up benching me in favor of you."

"I... um..." I stuttered. "Thanks." I glanced down at my feet, and only then did I realize that Edward was in street clothes. The closest to such that I'd ever seen him in was jeans with his jersey at Redsfest, but this—him in darkwash jeans, a plain white v-neck t shirt and black sneakers. He looked so _normal—_still incredibly beautiful, that couldn't be denied, but less like a superstar baseball player and more like a guy.

That didn't help me, though, because no matter how normal he looked, I knew who he was. "Why are you... I mean, shouldn't you be out celebrating?" I asked awkwardly.

"That's what I'm headed out to do," he said with a crooked smile. "I was just taking care of some business with Jane's father."

"I'm just Aro was just... enthralled... to see you today, Edward, after such a big game," Jane said with a sickeningly sweet smile. I shivered a little subconsciously.

Edward glared at her and turned towards me without another word. Jane shook it off, and I watched her go to the other side of the bar and tend to another tipsy customer.

"Do you..." Edward suddenly looked like a shy little kid. "Do you maybe want to join me?"

My heart, which had long since stopped beating, squeezed tightly in my chest. _Edward Cullen_ was asking me to go with him—to join the team in the celebration of the dramatic Opening Day win. _Me_.

"My, um..." I gestured nervously in the direction of Jacob and Alice, and even though he probably had no idea who I was pointing to through the thick crowd, but seemed to understand.

"Your friends?" I nodded. "There's how many?"

"Just two others," I said quietly. "Jacob and Alice. They're wonderful."

Edward nodded. "They can come. There's plenty of room in my car."

I stared at him. He suddenly looked abashed and looked down. "I'm so sorry, that must have seemed so forward, I must be making a horrible impression, this isn't—"

"No, no," I interrupted. "You're absolutely fine. I'm just wondering sort of... why."

A soft smile returned to his face, and he spoke the next few sentences quietly. I strained to hear him over the noise of the ever-growing crowd. "Back on the field, that ball was headed straight for your head. It was terrifying for me. There's nothing worse than seeing a fan get hurt. Most girls would have ducked out of the way, frozen, or screamed when they saw what was coming." He was looking a little past me now, reliving the memory. "But you didn't. You just reached up and grabbed it with that glove—I haven't seen a glove that beat up since I was a minor leaguer. It looked like the most natural thing in the world for you to make that catch."

I shrugged. I didn't really know how to respond to that. There was no way I would even imagine ducking out of the way when I had my glove and the perfect opportunity to catch a foul ball. It was coming straight for me, too, so it wasn't like I had a ton of time to think my decision over.

"Anyway Bella, the thing is…" He grinned. "I think the team would love to meet you, and it's going to be a heck of a lot more fun on the Riverfront than over here."

"Technically we're on the riverfront," I pointed out.

He glared at me. "The _downtown_ riverfront, Bella. Are you coming or not?"

"I think so," I said breathlessly. The spark of anger in his emerald eyes was undeniably sexy. "Let me just…" I gestured again in the direction of Jacob and Alice. He nodded.

"May I come with you?"

"Um… sure," I said happily. "Just don't expect them to know who you are. Alice and Jacob are definitely not the biggest baseball fans in Cincinnati."

Edward waved his hand nonchalantly as he turned to walked close behind me while I squeezed my way through the crowd. "Not a problem," he said quietly into my ear. "In fact, it'll be a nice change." His breath grazed my ear and I tried not to shiver. Someone in front of me backed up, knocking in to me and making me fall backwards. I didn't even have time to comprehend what was happening before Edward's arms were around my waist, his lips at my ear.

"You okay?"

I picked myself up hurriedly, because if I was in his arms too long I wouldn't be able to stop my mind from venturing into the dangerous territory it was already starting to dip its toes in to. _Stop it, Bella, don't be silly,_ I scolded myself. _This is a one-time thing, it's the gloss of Opening Day, it's not going to happen again. Stop acting like a teenager._

Oh God, I hoped this wasn't a one-time thing.

"I'm fine," I threw over my shoulder. Edward raised an eyebrow, probably questioning my eccentric, spazzy behavior, but I turned my head and rushed over to where I could see Alice and Jake at the edge of the crowd, sitting and chatting pleasantly. Jake spotted me over Alice's shoulder and grinned widely, waving me over.

"I see no alcohol," he reprimanded when I was within earshot. "Bella, did you spill your drink?"

I blushed. It would have been such a me thing to do if I had. "No, Jake, I never got around to a drink. I ran in to-"

Just then Edward appeared next to me, holding out his hand for Jacob to shake. "Hi. I'm Edward Cullen."

Jake looked Edward up an down a few times with an appreciative smile. "That you are," he mumbled. I blushed on Jake's behalf. He really was shameless.

"Hey, you're that guy!" Alice said excitedly. "You hit that home run today!"

"I did," Edward said humbly.

"I'm sorry about Jake," I added.

All of this was said in a period of about five seconds, all of us on top of each other. I looked between my friends and Edward, bewildered, before they all laughed. I joined in hesitantly.

Holy shit, Edward Cullen was laughing with me and my friends.

"Let's go outside where it's quieter," Edward suggested. Alice bounced out of her seat before the words were out of his mouth.

And just like that, we were off.

/|\

\|/

Edward drove a silver Volvo. It was the _last_ thing I expected a guy in his position to drive, but I didn't dare say anything, lest the spell be broken. Of course, that didn't meant hat my lovely friends said nothing.

"Dude, you drive… _This?_" Jacob asked with a tone of confusion. He didn't sound judgmental at all, and if Jacob was anything he was judgmental, so I could at least thank the heavens for that. "I mean it's nice and all but it's not exactly what I expected from…" He trailed off and grinned at me sheepishly when I kicked him in the shin.

Edward laughed. "I get that a lot," he chuckled while opening the passenger's door and gesturing inside for me. Alice was already bouncing in the back, excited at the prospect of going to party with "celebrities". Jacob hopped in beside her, and Edward jogged over to the driver's seat. "Truth is, I got this car with the intention of it being inconspicuous," he continued. He turned the sleek silver key and the engine purred to life. "I have an Aston that I bring to events. It's pretty fun to drive, but this car is so reliable and-"

"Back up a minute," Jacob said. Edward stopped at a red light and nodded at Jake in the rearview mirror. "Did you say you have an _Aston_?"

"Yup," Edward said nonchalantly. I looked back and forth between them. I, of course, had no concept of the significance of the word _Aston_, and when I looked back to Alice for assistance she merely shrugged.

"Like an Aston Martin. A Bonds car?"

"Jake, what's an Aston?" I interrupted, frustrated.

Edward and Jacob both looked at me, flabbergasted. I blushed an sat back. "You can't expect me to know everything," I grumbled with red-tinged cheeks.

"If you don't know what an Aston is though…" Jake shook his head.

"I'll take you for a ride in mine some day," Edward said authoritatively. "It's an experience."

And just like that, there was an unspoken promise between us. This wouldn't be the last meeting between us and Edward Cullen.

Not once did the silver Volvo approach the interstate, as most people would take to get to downtown from the East Side. Instead Edward wove his way expertly-and speedily-through the narrow and one-way streets that connected the city together. The buildings grew as we moved forward; early jazz played on the radio. Within ten minutes we were crossing second street, where Edward turned into a parking garage. We were all rushed out of the car as a valet took it to be parked.

The noise difference was substantial. Whereas on the East Side the noise had mainly been general chatter in a relaxed atmosphere, the electricity here was apparent instantly. Edward pulled out his iPhone to check something, and locked the screen only a moment after finding what he needed. The elevator we had been rushed in to dinged, opened on the street, and the four of us filed out. Edward turned to us and grinned.

"Just to warn you, things can get a little wild," he advised. "Some of the guys are waiting for us at the Holy Grail. My best advice to you: hold on tight, keep your arms and ears inside the cart at all times, and enjoy the ride."

The crowd got thicker as we were further into the Banks and closer to the ballpark, where the biggest attractions were. Edward pulled out a black knit cap when more people were around, I assumed to hide the obvious identification of his copper locks. I scurried along behind him, with Jake keeping his hand on my elbow and Alice gripping his other arm. "Keep close tonight, alright?" Jake whispered in my ear. "There's a lot of heavily intoxicated men around tonight, and Alice fixed you up _really_ nicely." I nodded. Normally I'd admonish Jake for getting so big-brother on me, but my mind was too jumpy from the events of the night to worry myself about that issue… though I was sure a man would have to be _very_ intoxicated to think about _me_ that way.

As we approached the all-glass walls to the Holy Grail, Edward whipped off the cap. The recognition was almost instantaneous. Someone, over the dull roar of the electrified crowd, shouted, "Here comes Prince Edward! Make way!" Edward, who paused to let us catch up to him, blinked and muttered, "Well that's new," under his breath. There was a beat of pause before the anticipated boom from the crowd, as cheers and cries of "MVP! MVP!" filled the air. I grinned. Edward grabbed my hand, which was an unexpected but pleasurable shock, and tugged me into the bar, trailing Jake and Alice behind us.

"Opening Day and they're already shouting for one of the most revered awards the League has to offer," Edward said, shaking his head with amusement. "Sometimes I wonder about you fans."

"Well there're your performance today of course," I shouted over the din, "but you could have won the MVP last year too."

"The first basemen of third-place teams don't win most valuable player," he replied loudly. "Trakker's team won, he deserved the award." I grimaced. James Trakker played for the St. Louis Cardinals and notoriously hated the Reds. The Reds and Cards had a heated rivalry as it was, but recently it had exploded. The Cardinals had also won the World Series in 2011.

Just then we heard a loud, "WOO!" come from in front of us and a giant was engulfing Edward in his arms. "Here he is!" The man boomed into the crowd, facing away from me. "Edward Cullen… Cincinnati baseball's savior!" The room exploded again, and suddenly Edward was begin attacked by a sea of white-and-red clad men-ones I quickly recognized as several of the bright characters that made up the Reds' roster. I was in awe. This was more than I could have imagined. I felt the shake from Jake's body as he chuckled behind me.

"Hi," Edward said, smiling widely. You could tell that this was more than just a team. Edward's whole face lit up just being around them. I blinked twice as he turned and put his hand on my shoulder.

"May I introduce you?" he asked me, bringing his face close to mine so I could hear. It was an honest question-he wasn't trying to push me to do anything. My nod of confirmation was minuscule, but he picked up on it and turned, bringing me in front of him and putting both hands on my shoulders. In front of me were ten or more smiling faces, faces I knew from the lineup cards on the Reds website, videos on ESPN, TV interviews and the newspaper front page. Every one of them seemed friendly, from the goofy second baseman to the long-reliever with the iconic bushy mustache.

"This," Edward said, "Is Bella. Bella Swan. She's-"

"Got your job, Cullen!" the big guy boomed. I looked to see that this huge personality was coming from catcher Emmett McCarty. Edward shot him a playful glare.

"She's the girl who made that catch today," Edward finished, practically daring anyone to interrupt him again with his eyes. "And she's a big fan."

I don't even remember his approach, but suddenly Jasper Hale was upon me. My body, which had slowly been filling with stress all through this encounter (both from meeting such big parts of my life and the crowd around me, which I wasn't a huge fan of after hours upon hours of crowds), started to relax. He was very chill, very serene, and wearing a big smile on his face. I risked a glance over to Alice to see that her eyes were big and her mouth was hanging open ever so slightly.

"Well, darlin', do you still have that ball you caught?" he asked in his Texas drawl. I nodded sheepishly, patting the big handbag I had brought to house my glove and everything. "Can I see it?"

"Um, sure," I said in a voice so quiet I'm sure he couldn't hear it. I dug it out, which took several minutes and left me blushing. Damn it, Bella, why can't you just grab the ball and not leave the freaking _Ace of the Cincinnati Reds _waiting?!

He looked at the white orb carefully, turning it over in his hand a few times, then grabbed a Sharpie out of his pocket and signed it in big, lazy cursive before passing the pen and ball over to the next player. "You'll get it back, don't worry," he assured me, looking at my shocked face.

"I uh.. no, I just.. wow!" I breathed. "I never… thank you!"

Jasper chuckled. "Sure thing, Bella. You can thank me by introducing me to your friend here." He smiled at Alice. The change in her attitude was immediate. She went from a shocked teenager to a cool and confident ball of energy that she usually was.

"This is Alice," I said, raising my eyebrow. "She's been my best friend since I moved to Cincinnati."

Jasper said something to Alice, and I wanted to listen, but Jake pulled me back to get my attention. "You two seem to be in hands I can maybe trust," he said, looking carefully between the players, now chatting between themselves. "I'm getting a drink. My phone is on vibrate in my pocket, so call me, but I'll be back in _five minutes_, okay Bella?"

"I can't take care of myself, Jake," I reminded him. "But thank you."

Edward came up behind us. "You're not leaving, are you?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"No, no," I said quickly. "Jacob's going to get a drink."

"Oh, good." Edward smiled. "Not everyone's signed your ball yet."

With that, Jake disappeared into the thick crowd, and I was enveloped back into the group of baseball players.

My mind was spinning. _Was this happening right now?! _This was more than I imagined… definitely more than I thought possible when I walked out my apartment door this morning, Alice and Jake hanging close by. I looked up at Edward again, happy and carefree, laughing with his coworkers. He glanced down at me and the smile turned soft.

"Tell me about yourself, Bella," he said, leaning against the bar. He put his elbows up, which made his shirt stretch over his muscles. I blushed and looked down.

"I'm not that interesting, really," I murmured. He smiled when I looked up and beckoned for me to continue. "I lived with my mother, Renee, in Phoenix until she got married to a minor league player-Phil, he was the one who turned me on to baseball and developed me in to the Reds fan I am. I moved in with my dad in Washington State in high school, I went to UW and got a… a Business Admin degree with a focus in sports." I blushed. "That sounds silly. Anyway-"

Edward laughed. "Bella, why would I, of all people, think that a sports management degree sounded silly?" he asked with amusement. "I think it definitely sounds like you followed your passion, and that's awesome."

"Yeah, I double majored in English too, but the only good an English degree does is make me a grumpy Starbucks barista." I smiled brightly as his laugh. _I made Edward Cullen laugh._ "Anyway, now I work for the Hamilton County Public Library system."

"Are you a librarian?" he asked curiously.

"No, I'd end up destroying the library. I'm pretty klutzy and it's difficult enough to keep myself from knocking all the shelves down without pushing a metal cart around. I'm the Circulation Director."

His eyebrows shot up. "That sounds like a very… I don't know how to put this… it sounds like a big job for someone as young as you. How old are you anyway?"

But before I could answer, another chant of "MVP! MVP!" started up in the bar. I made a face, amused and confused. Edward extended his hand, and I thought he might touch me, but he dropped it before he could. I looked up above his head to see what had ignited the chant again from the fans. A replay of his home run was playing on Fox Sports Ohio. Edward turned his head and flinched, then looked back sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's embarrassing," he said.

"It's amazing, that's what it is," I replied.

"Anyway, you didn't answer my question."

"I'm 23."

"I'm 26."

I knew that of course, but saying such would have been really weird.

Someone whooped, and then Emmett McCarty was between us, with a gigantic arm draped over each of out shoulders. "Come on you two," he hollered. "We have a city of fans to thank!"

**A/N: So yeah this took a while but it's not as long as it took last time so forgive me.**

**And oh yeah review. That would be nice.**


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